Drive info icons on desktop?

How to do it?

Published on March 22, 2005 By Bebi Bulma In Beginners

I've seen this on a few screenshots and I would like to do the same on my desktop, but I have no clue how.

Could someone explain the steps in an easy to understand fashion on how I could achieve the same thing? I heard someone say it was using DesktopX, I have version 2.x something. TIA.

Comments (Page 1)

Double Zero

on Mar 22, 2005

Thats actually a program/add-on ..There was a post about it here a couple weeks ago with a link to the site..I dont remember what topic it was under..I think Boss is the one that has the link..LoL..
I'll see if I can find it..

Zero.

Double Zero

on Mar 22, 2005

Here ya go Bebi, I think this is what your looking for Link

Zero.

Bebi Bulma

on Mar 22, 2005

Well, I downloaded it and installed it but have no idea what it is or what to do with it, doh (looks like a Mac thing? I'm running XP Pro).

Would still appreciate it if someone could give me a step-by-step guide on how to get the icons working like in the screenshot.

Thanks for the link Zero.

Double Zero

on Mar 22, 2005

Your welcome Bebi, I cannot help you with the "How Too's" I havent used the program..I am just forever reading the threads here and remember that one..::laughs::

Heres a link to the original thread..perhaps Boss can help you get it organized? anyway..good luck Link

Zero.

Bebi Bulma

on Mar 22, 2005

I've posted there too.

Hopefully he'll see it an lend a helping hand.

Thanks for your help.

Double Zero

on Mar 22, 2005

Not a prob..after all, you *were the one that showed me how to do that cool yellow backround trick!!..LoL!

Umm..another thought is you can always Email him also..he has his Email posted in his profile boss0192002@yahoo.com

Tho the tutorial might be great to have on the boards here since it does look like a very cool feature to have!

Zero.

BlueDev

on Mar 22, 2005

Hopefully this will help.

Run AveDesk. Right click on the system tray icon, select Desklet Control Panel. That will open up a panel with menus on the top. Select Desklets>Add. Select PidlShortcut from the list and hit Add. This will give you an ugly icon for the C drive on your desktop. In the Desklet Control Panel select that shortcut and go to Properites. This opens up the desklet dialog. There you need to play. Just mess around with the options to see what they do. That is the best way to learn. That dialog is pretty explanatory. You can do the same thing and make shortcuts for whatever drives/folders you have.

Have fun and experiment.

Bebi Bulma

on Mar 22, 2005

Well, I tried it but nothing is showing up on my desktop.

I can't seem to figure out how to choose the icon I want either, I'm using the AlienMorph icons and want it to use the right image for the hard drive, recycle bin, and etc.

BlueDev

on Mar 23, 2005

Hmm, can't figure out why there isn't anything on your desktop. Choosing the icon is a piece of cake (once you know how, of course). Once you have the desklet on your desktop you need to bring up the properties. There will be a button that says "Set Image". Click that and select the image you want. Alternatively you can click the tab that says Icon in the desklet properties box and there will be a button that says Use Custom Image and a box below that. Select that button and drag the image file you want to that box. Hit apply and you are set.

If nothing is showing up on your desktop you need to figure out if the desklet is even running. Open the Desklet control panel and see if PidlShortcut is running. If it is, right click on it there and open the Desklet Properties dialog. Other than that, I don't have any more info to go on.

mormegil

on Mar 23, 2005

If you have desktopX you can do this very simply, here is a sample https://www.wincustomize.com/Skins.aspx?LibID=34

BlueDev

on Mar 23, 2005

I have tried to do this a lot in Desktop X (not since version 3 though) and it just never seems to come out as easy, customizable in terms of what it displays and the format of the display, and nice as AveDesk. ExodusCrow's folder info widget rocks, but you really can't make one of those things point to your main hard drive (I tried, takes forever to update the info - don't want that happening at random intervals throughout the day).

The shortcut/drive and folder info thing is, for me, the only area AveDesk really is a lot better than Desktop X. I would love to see a shortcut widget developed for Desktop X that is as easily customizable as PidlShortcut for AveDesk. But alas, I wouldn't have a clue where to start.

MasterSchwag

on Mar 23, 2005

Ms. Bebi Bulma............If u hare still having trouble using avedesk 1.2, I believe I can help!
It took me a wile to figure it out, seeing as how there where no instrctions on "how to use avedesk"!

Make sure, after u open the control panel, and add a desklet, that it is located where u can see it
U will see the names of the desklets you have added in the desklets control panel! Right click the
desklet (in the desklets control panel) you want to change the icon too, and goto properties!
from there you can choose the icons, position of icon, icon size, and tons more!

Not sure
if i could help!

Bebi Bulma

on Mar 23, 2005

Yes they are showing in the control panel but I really have no idea why they aren't showing up on my desktop. And about the setting the icon, if I right click on a icon on my quick launch, I'm given the open to choose from all the icons in the .icl file, but with avedesk it will only let me choose an ico or png, and I'm not sure how to get to each individual icon in the icon packager pack.

I assume having "use system icons" checked in the Icon tab of the pidlshortcut desklet properties will use the right icon from the package? Of course that won't do me much good if nothing shows up at all.

EDIT: GAH I think I figured out the problem. I'm using IconX for my desktop icons, and when I clicked on the "show desktop" quicklaunch the normal desktop icons disappeared and the avedesk ones showed up, is there anyway I can have both?

Almost got the images thing straightened out...except for when just using a shortcut to a regular folder, it's using the plain folder image instead of the folder image from the alienmorph icon set. It also seems to be using an ugly icon image for my c drive everytime I change the properties on it instead of using the image I had set for it.

Bebi Bulma

on Mar 24, 2005

I thought I'd just update this because I was getting messy editing my other post while figuring the whole thing out.

I pretty much got the whole thing working, screenie here: http://bebi.banterboard.com/march-dark.gif Even got the ftp desklet working...that is one super cool feature!

Remaining problems:

1. Is it possible to have IconX enabled and running along with AveDesk without one or the other ceasing to show up/function? At this point I can only have one or the other (iconx enabled - avedesk won't show up, iconx disabled - avedesk works).

2. Still have the issue about not being able to choose a single image from the alienmorph icon package (or any other theme I guess). Single ico/png files work fine, but a bundled set is a no-go.

Just wanted to say thanks again to those of you who got me pointed in the right direction, avedesk is cool.

Oo_NUKLEAR_oO

on Mar 25, 2005

that's pretty cool.. but how did you get the sublabel working?... i cant figure it out, maybe you can help me out

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!